The Power of Technology

Book Cover for Hamlet’s BlackBerry: Building a Good Life in the Digital Age, 2010

This image displays the effects of technology of the social culture in today’s society.

This image, the cover of the book, Hamlet’s Blackberry, shows two blackberries expressing different emotions. One of the blackberries is expressing what it feels like to be sad when it is plugged in and the other one is expressing what it feels like to be happy when it is unplugged.

This image displays that being connected with our technological devices will make us unhappy. We become overwhelmed by the time consumption we devote towards staying connected. When we release ourselves from technology, we become happier people. We “unplug” from the technological world we live in and we can interact socially with others without the use of technology.

As humans, we tend to pay attention to new stimuli that we are drawn to. We want to respond to what is happening around us. When we hear our iPhone ring notifying us of a text message or a missed call, we tend to respond quickly. We ignore what is happening in the moment around us and draw all our attention to a small screen in the palm of our hands. We feel as if we need to be connected at all times. This could produce a negative emotion such as being upset while plugged in according to the photo. We lose the capability to connect deeply with the world around us. The value of our relationships can decrease because we are so engrossed in technology. Our human contact skills can be affected when we become so absorbed and constantly check our devices. Our personal relationships are being affected by the technological overload in the 21st century.

In the image, the blackberry expresses the emotion of being happy when it is “unplugged.” If we step outside of the technological world and step into a life without it, we would be happy. Many generations before our time were able to live without being connected during every second of everyday. We would adjust to the lifestyle of being able to communicate with others without the use of a technological device. We would have positive relationships with others that wouldn’t be affected by the technology in the world.

The most realistic solution to the technological crisis would be to choose the appropriate mode we want at a given time. Technology has improved our society in many ways making it easier to get in contact with the people and world around us, but it has also caused many problems. If there was a balance in between the ability to stay connected and to disconnect, we would be content in our everyday lives.

The two blackberries express opposite emotions in the battle of being “plugged in” (connected) or “unplugged” (disconnected.”)